Readers blog: Irish soldiers could be blameless casualties following Trump decision on Jerusalem
US President Donald Trump’s announcement that the US now recognises Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, is arrogant, incorrect, and dangerous.
It is arrogant because it overturns and contradicts decades of US foreign policy, and is most likely opposed by most US diplomats and foreign policy experts, as well as by the majority of US citizens who understand its dangerous implications.
It is incorrect, because virtually all the rest of the international community do not recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and international law forbids the annexation of territory captured in war.
Most of all however, it is extremely dangerous because it may lead to serious loss of life due to the likely collapse of the peace process that will result from this irresponsible decision.
President Trump’s statement that his “Jerusalem decision is in the best interests of peace” is either delusional or knowingly false.
The likelihood of resurgence of the Palestine/Israeli conflict poses significant dangers for Irish troops serving in the Middle East. There are a total of 518 Irish soldiers serving the UNIFIL, UNDOF, and UNTSO missions.
Their presence there, especially in the Syrian Golan Heights and south Lebanon is now of very questionable from a peacekeeping point of view.
If President Trump’s decision leads on to a new war along Israel’s northern borders, Irish soldiers will not be keeping the peace, but could become ‘collateral damage’ from Israel’s point of view and serious Irish casualties from our soldiers’ point of view.
